The Call
by Bella Mattina
Summary: Ikuto Tsukiyomi, a missing persons investigator, has only five days to find four missing girls and his only lead is from a woman code-named Angel. Can he trust this Angel person and find the girls? Read and find out. Rated M for strong, mature content and language. Please be advised.
1. Chapter 1

It was half past five and I had not even thought about starting the next morning. I was still working on the case from the previous day and there was no lead or anything to push this thing forward. I rolled my chair away from my computer desk and stood up for a brief moment to go grab another cup of coffee. There was an eerie presence in the empty office space. My footsteps echoed throughout the building as I made my way towards the break room. On my way there I passed the case board. This board was filled with open missing person cases. Every detective was assigned their own case unless the cases overlapped with evidence or suspects. There were four people missing in my case, all of them children, and all related to each other in every angle and corner of the case. However, that was all I knew. Whoever abducted them left no evidence or trail behind. My cell ringed, and I pulled it out of my back pocket to see that it was my girl calling.

"Hey babe," I started, "I'm running a bit behind right now on this case…"

"Ikuto." She said my name once and I knew that tone of voice. She was going to end it with me. They all did. "I can't keep up with your schedule and your late nights and…."

I tuned her out and let her finish babbling. This was the third girl I lost within the past year because of my "busy work schedule". I don't blame them, but I'm more pissed that they were "committed" even though they knew about my hectic lifestyle.

"Bye." I clicked the off button on the phone and placed it back into my pocket. I continued to make my way into the break room and found one single pot of coffee already brewed fresh.

"You really need to think about who you date before you date them, Ikuto." One of my very few friends, Kukai Souma, greeted me in the room.

"You heard all of that?" I grabbed the pot handle and listened to the sound of coffee mocking me with _he's right_ as I poured it into my mug.

"Yeah," Kukai sighed, "But seriously, stop dating the first girl that calls your name."

"Whatever." I blew at the steam that the coffee produced and then took a sip. The contents tasted earthy and burned the roof of my mouth as I forced it down, burning the rest of my tongue and esophagus.

"Tsukiyomi." Chief Iwagaki ordered, "See me in my office."

"Great…" I mumbled and took my cup and body straight over to the chief's office. It was much larger than my small cubicle and it was precisely decorated with the interest of intimidating anyone who step foot into the 12x12 room.

"Have a seat." He ushered to the chair in front of his desk. I refused and let him continue with the reason of me being here. "You know how important this missing children's case is, correct?"

"I understand." I nodded and took another sip. Of course I knew. The four female children were all taken in broad daylight at different locations, but according to some witnesses at the same time of 1500 hours. The parents of the children were all wealthy business owners who had high morals, values and believed in everything in helping their community. I knew that the stakes were high when working with this case, and I knew the importance and the risks of taking this case.

"Then why haven't they been found?" The chief folded his arms and gave me an intense stare.

"There haven't been any leads since last night at 1800 hours." I defended my position, "I have been working on this case since it reached my desk, I just haven't found anything to go off of since the field detectives gave me the evidence."

He must have heard the defensiveness in my voice because he stood up and slammed both of his bulky fists on the desks and shouted, "Then find them, damn it!"

I wasn't startled by his anger or his threat and without saying another word I turned back towards my desk.

"Geez," Kukai snickered, "What was that about?"

"Shut it." I spat and slumped right back down at my desk. I reviewed each file once more.

* * *

 _First Name: Ran_

 _Last Name: Ano_

 _Parent(s): Amano Ano_

 _Characteristics: pink hair, pink eyes, 47.7", 49.5lbs, 7yo_

 _Last wearing: Pink cheerleading dress with a red visor and pink pom poms_

 _Last seen: By witnesses at 1500 hours at local kid's park. Same park as Yakumo- possible together_

 _Suspects: … …_

* * *

 _First Name: Miki_

 _Last Name: Mayumi_

 _Parent(s): Itoh and Murai Mayumi_

 _Characteristics: blue hair, blue eyes, 49.5", 50.5lbs, 8yo_

 _Last wearing: light blue long-sleeved shirt, black vest, dark blue shorts, and black shoes with a light blue bag_

 _Last seen: By witnesses at 1500 hours at school playground._

 _Suspects: … …_

* * *

 _First Name: Su_

 _Last Name: Emu_

 _Parent(s): Kida and Kibe Emu_

 _Characteristics: yellow-green hair, emerald eyes, 47.9", 50.7lbs, 7yo_

 _Last wearing: frilly green dress with green shoes and a white apron_

 _Last seen: By witnesses at 1500 hours at outside of family's bakery._

 _Suspects: … …_

* * *

 _First Name: Dia_

 _Last Name: Yakumo_

 _Parent(s): Kawabata Yakumo_

 _Characteristics: orange hair, gold eyes, 48.0", 51.0lbs, 8yo_

 _Last wearing: two piece yellow dress with white headband and white boots_

 _Last seen: By witnesses at 1500 hours at local kid's park. Same park as Ano- possibly together_

 _Suspects: … …_

* * *

"Nothing…" I sighed and tossed the files aside. I placed my head in my hands and leaned against the desk. I let out a "damn it" with a groan. My cell ringed again in my back pocket. I was expecting it to be my now ex, but when I checked the number it was unknown. I picked it up, "Tsukiyomi."

"I found the girls." _Click._

"What the fuck?!" I dropped my phone in shock and then cursed at the unknown number. Quickly, I dashed over to Kukai's desk and yelled frantically, "Can you get this number?!"

"Woah dude, chill out." Kukai took the phone hesitantly and then hooked it up to his computer. Kukai asked as he ran some diagnostics and computer software stuff that I couldn't even begin to explain it, "What's the deal?"

"I think someone found the girls." My eyes raced through the codes and numbers that appeared on his computer to see if there were any that I recognized.

"You mean…?" He started but I cut him off.

"Yes, yes," I was frantic, "Now tell me you can get that number."

 _CLASSIFIED._

"What the…?" Kukai retried the scan, but another _CLASSIFIED_ appeared on his screen, "Who the hell were you talking to?"

"Why is the number classified?" I growled.

"I don't know." Kukai panicked himself, "I've never had this happen before." He pressed a few more keys and then pictures appeared on screen, "Dude, what the fuck are those?"

My mouth slowly dropped as I saw pictures of each girl locked up in a cell, tied, and beaten. "What the…?" I blinked and then checked my phone. There were no new messages.

"It has to be the person that called you." Kukai tried to find an explanation, "They must have hacked your phone."

"But, where are they?" My attention was solely focused on the missing girls.

"It looks like they're in a cellar somewhere, but I can't tell where." Kukai even tried to edit the image to find some sort of identification of where the location of the kids.

One last message came in, and this time it was a text from what was I assume the same unknown number, "They're not going to hurt them. But I can't say how long they'll stay."

Another picture came in, this time it was a from the internet. It was an evangelical angel watching over some small cherubs.

"What the hell is going on, dude?" Kukai was scared, and frankly, so was I.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

l reported my findings to Chief and he finally let me go on an actual break that was outside of the office. It was 1130 and immediately dashed to the closest bar. The bartender recognized me, " Tsukiyomi!"

l gave a short wave and then ordered my usual of whiskey.

"Coming right up." The tender quickly filled my tumbler of their finest whiskey, which wasn't that great, but it silenced the demons.

Before I left, Kukai handed me prints of each photo and the message. What did they mean by how long they'll stay? Are they being shipped somewhere? Oh god… are they being trafficked? The bartender placed my glass on the table at the booth I was sitting at; l reached out for it and took a long, deep swig. The taste burned as I swallowed and the aftertaste was just as foul, but I could feel the alcohol work its wonders. The warmth filled my body and numbed my mind.

"Is that the four children case?" The bartender took at seat across from me and cleaned a dirtied glass.

"Yeah, " I finished the contents and then ordered around round. He took my glass and left me alone to my work.

If they are being trafficked, where are they being taking?

"Tsukiyomi?"

That voice was new. I looked up and saw a woman with pink hair that was pulled back into a loose ponytail, bags under her honey-golden eyes, no makeup, and what looked like scars around her neck. "Yes?" I noticed what she was wearing. A white jacket that was a size too big for her, but looked comfortable, and tight black jeans that hugged her thin frame. Her sneakers were worn and dirtied and there was a thin black chain dangling from her back left pocket to the respective front pocket.

"Let me buy your next drink." She offered.

"I just ordered one." I declined her offer.

When the bartender returned with my second drink she said, "I'll take this one. Can he please have a shot of absinthe?"

"A bit much for the morning, don't you think?" The bartender worried.

"It'll be fine." I waved him off and once he left I spoke again, "Do I know you?"

"Not yet." She took a seat where the bartender once was and leaned into the table. Her legs were considerably close to mine under the table and I could feel her purposefully brushing them against me.

"A name would help."

"Angel," the shot of absinthe returned and she took my glass of whiskey, "The name's Angel."

"Well Angel," I took the shot and felt the drink heighten my sense instead of dulling them like the whiskey, "How do I owe the honor of this drink?"

"You don't owe me anything…." She teased, "Yet." She quickly drank my whiskey and placed it down gently on the table. Her fingers lightly rubbed the glass.

I knew I should heed Kukai's concern, but what the hell. "What do you mean by yet?"

"Well…" She smirked, "How about we head back to my place and you can pay me there?" Her lips were full of seduction.

I checked my watch and saw that I still had forty-five minutes. "How far away?"

"I'm currently staying at the motel two blocks up the road." Her thighs pressed against mine and I felt an exhilarating surge shoot through my body.

I got up, shuffled my files back into my bag and then paid for my drinks. "Shall we?"

She giggled and tugged on my hands. She opened the door with her back and once we were out the door she had already begun her tantalizing play. She every few moments she would grope, suckle, and nibble on everything that sent a thrill through my body.

Once we reached the hotel we were in a chaotic fury of stripping each other of their clothes. My cell rang.

"I'm sorry," I apologized and checked the number. It was Kukai. "This better be good." I growled into the phone. She snuck up behind me and rubbed down my body, leaving trails of kisses every so often.

"That last picture if the angel," Kukai sounded hurried, "It's from a local church. The Holy Church of Christ. Im sending the address now."

I felt her stop and I turned to tell her….. SMACK. THUD.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up to hear Kukai's voice above me, "What did I tell you about going after girl's as soon as they say your name?"

"Shut it." I painfully sat up and rubbed my cheek, "How did you know I was here?"

"Tracked ya." Kukai held out a hand to me and I took it. He pulled me up and I felt dizzy. Once my balance was stable, he let go.

"At least she had the decency of putting my pants back on." I cracked my neck and heard two loud pops before I asked, "What time is it?"

"Almost 1800." Kukai answered, "You were out for awhile."

"My files!" I bolted towards my bag and saw that everything was still in place, "What the…?"

"I don't understand it either dude." Kukai shook his head and crossed his arms, "If I was her, I would've taken the files."

"Unless she's helping us…" I found a loose card in at the bottom of my bag. I held the card up to Kukai and on the front was the address of the church and the back and a short handwritten note: _Meet me once you wake up._

* * *

It took me about thirty minutes to reach the church. I opened the huge cathedral doors and when I walked in I saw the portrait that was sent to me earlier this morning. l opened another set of smaller doors and was greeted with what seemed like an endless amount of pew rows. At the front of the building, where the transept lied, on the left, there was a confession room, and on the left there was a small section of unlit candles. I wasn't particularly religious, but I felt like I was being drawn towards those candles. I walked forward and listened to my steps echo throughout the congressional hall. I was expecting an ominous organ playing in the background, but alas, it was quiet.

Once at the candles, I took the thin plywood and found one lit candle to ignite a flame on the wood. I lit four candles, one for each child, and then I lit two more separate from the first four, those were for myself and that strange woman.

"Why do I have trouble believing that you're a praying man," Angel's voice appeared behind me.

"When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your father in private." I turned after blowing out the flame and placing it back into a small cup, "Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

"Matthew 6:6." Angel scoffed and smirked, "Nice."

"I'm not a religious man, but I can believe that there is something out there…."

"Well, don't go searching for it." Angel stepped closer and with her fingertips snuffed out one of the candles, "Cause you're not gonna find anything."

"Wasn't planning on it," I watched her walk away from the candle and towards a bowl of holy water, "Where are the girls, Angel?"

"If you want that answer," She dipped her fingers into the bowl and then rubbed the water in between her fingertips, "You have to learn how to play by their game."

"What do you mean by 'their game'?" I took a step closer to her and had one hand on my gun holster.

"First, you have to drop the press coverage." She started the list, "The more coverage, the sooner they'll get rid of them."

"Okay," I took another step towards her, "That can be easily arrange."

"Secondly, you can't go in with the whole team behind you. Only one or two can go in at most to save those girls."

"Okay…" I was uncomfortable with the lack of protection, but I had to play her game long enough to find out where the girls were and then I could leave her.

"Lastly," She closed the gap between us and grabbed my hand off of the holster, "You can't go in with guns ablazing. They'll kill them then."

I wanted to snap at her, but I knew I couldn't. I just had to play by her rules for now. "I can arrange that, but where are the girls Angel?"

She paused for a moment and then sighed, "No, you don't get it, but that's why I'm going to help you." She turned away from me and once again walked towards the water, but instead of stopping at the bowl, she walked passed it and headed from the bronzed crucifix in the middle of the room, "Before I tell you where the girls are, you have to know my story."

"Angel…" I growled. I don't have time for this.

She turned her head towards me, "Yes, you do. Trust me." She began to remove her jacket and I could see on her back scars shaped like wings, "Those men…. They did this to me and then shipped me to Ecuador. "

I was able to get one long look at her scars before she placed her jacket back on and she turned her whole body to face me, "But that wasn't the worse part. The worse part was once I was in Ecuador they shipped me from one person to the next like I was a rag doll. I have been molested, raped, and nearly killed all in a short time span of seven years. I managed to escape three years back and found my way here, to you."

My throat closed up, I was pissed.

"What they did to me is exactly what they'll do to them if we don't play by their rules." Angel stepped down from the crucifix and towards me again, "Trust me. I have been through what those girls are going through now, and being beaten in those cells is the least of their worries."

"How long do we have before they're shipped?" I had to know our time frame of work.

"From yesterday, we'll have a week."

Great… essentially five days left.

"But that is if we play by their rules. If we can stop the media, we can possibly grant them more time."Alright." I nodded and then began to dial the chief's number. As it was ringing I asked her, "Would you mind coming down to the station with me to report this information?"

"To the station, I do mind," Angel pulled out another piece of paper with a phone number scrawled on it, "But if you call this number, I will answer it with any question you may have."

"But we can be tracked." I took the card, but felt uneasy with the idea.

"Not with this number. It's off the grid." Angel tried her best to reassure me that everything would be okay, but I still felt weird not having her come to the station.

"Iwagaki."

"Chief, I have a witness to the missing children's case." I started, but then paused for a moment. How do I explain this to him? "But she doesn't want to come in for cross-examining."

"As long as you got the information from her, I don't care whether she comes in or not." Chief Iwagaki sounded relieved, which was odd to hear from him.

"We also have…" How do I phrase this? "Precautions… that have to be enforced before we can get the girls."

"Well," He waited for me to respond, "Spit it out."

"Media coverage has to be taken down." I looked at my watch and noticed that it was now 2000, "And I'll tell you the rest once we're back at the station."

"Alright," Iwagaki ended, "Get your ass back here with that girl." He clicked off.

"Woah, I said that I wasn't going to the station." Angel stepped back in alarm.

Before she could dash off I grabbed her wrist, "I never said that you're coming to the station with me." I pulled her close to me, "But you aren't leaving my sight."

She spit in my face, "You sicken me."

"Not like that!" I snapped at her and tightened my grip around her wrists, "I'm going to protect you!"

She stopped struggling and froze. It was like she had never heard that word before in her life. Angel then scrunched her face angrily and threw her arms down, breaking my grip, "I'll go with you, but I can protect myself."

"Whatever suits you." I shook my head frustrated and then walked towards the exit, "Hurry up. I'm going to have to drop you off at my house before heading to the station."

Surprisingly, she willingly followed me out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

I turned the key to my apartment and stepped inside the relatively clean space. Since I was never home, I hardly needed to clean it, and if I did, I called a maid.

"Make yourself comfortable." I should probably get a shower before heading back, I smelled horrible and it would help my irritable mood.

Angel was silent the whole way here and she was silent even when walking into my flat. What's with her?

"You okay?" I turned and saw her gently touching the artwork that hung on the hallway walls.

Without a word, she nodded yes and continued to inspect everything in my apartment.

"There's a guest bedroom to the left of the kitchen," I placed my keys on the counter, "And a restroom attached to it. You can stay there for now." I opened the kitchen door and found some bottles of liquor and water. I grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it quickly. I didn't realize how thirsty I was until I took that first sip. Once I finished I continued, "There's some food in the fridge if you want anything and the only TV is in the living room. So, if you want to watch TV you can only do it out here." I saw her frozen by the entrance of the kitchen. "Seriously, are you okay?"

She nodded again. I guess she's in shock of everything.

"Well, I'm going to get a shower," I started to head towards my room, "Make yourself at home." Without another word from her or myself, I walked into my bedroom and locked the door behind me. For all I knew, if I left the door open she could come in my room and do something stupid.

My room was a wreck. There were empty bottles and older cases all over the floor. I wouldn't say that I was an alcoholic, but I definitely had a drinking problem, especially if there was a stressful case. I cleaned up some of the bottles and threw them in the trash and shuffled the old cases together into one pile. I'll have to go through that later. I walked towards the bathroom and stepped out of my clothes and in the shower. I turned the shower on hot and felt the water scorch my skin. I stood under the hot water for a few minutes and waited until the water ran cool before I even started bathing. Once out of the shower, I threw on a pair of black straight leg jeans and white v-neck t-shirt. I ran my hand through my hair and then emerge from my room. Angel wasn't in sight and I panicked a bit. I walked towards the door and stood by the guest bedroom. Without a sound, I listened in and heard the shower running.

Shit! I forgot! She's going to need a set of clean clothes. I quickly and quietly ran back to my room and grabbed the first pair of sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt that I could find and that were clean. I ran back again and quietly stepped into her room. Her clothes were lying on the floor and I noticed that there were a few dried bloodied bandages.

"I knew your sincerity wouldn't last long." Angel stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body.

"I'm only dropping off a pair of clothes." I grumbled and then made my way out towards the door.

She grabbed my arm, which I turned to see what she had to say, which confused me a bit, "You're… not… going to…?"

Before she could finish I responded with, "no" and then proceeded to walk out the door.

Once at the station, the Chief had the local station on the phone and ordered them to discontinue any media coverage of the missing children's case, Kukai and other techy people were working together to delete any internet media that may have leaked out to the public, and there were a few other people arranging for an office meeting.

I made my way to the meeting room and sat down. I pulled out the files and looked over them once again and this time I added my own notes.

 _Drop the press. Small team and stealth._

In a small corner I wrote, _Angel_.

"Great work, Tsukiyomi." Chief Iwagaki patted my back.

"Yeah…" I didn't feel like it was great. Still no kids and the way Angel reacted bugged me.

"Alright, let's get the team in and you'll run down what you found." Chief left and grabbed five other people, including Kukai.

Once everyone was seated, I began. "A witness in this abduction has given me clues on how to find these children, but the witness did not provide me with the actual location."

"Does this witness have a name?" A team member asked.

"The witness wishes to remain anonymous." I wasn't sure if that was true, but I assumed it was especially since Angel didn't want to come into the station.

"Why did they not provide a location?" Another member slammed his fist on the table, "Do they think that this is some sort of game?!"

Chief defended me, "Information comes with time…"

"It is a game." I interrupted him which caused everyone's eyes to focus on me. I restarted, "The witness described the situation to me as a game. A game that the abductees play often." I stood up and walked towards the whiteboard on the left side of the room, "The witness has been a key part in this game, and this is why they wish to remain anonymous, but they are willing to help our situation in anyway possible." I hoped that last part was true. "The witness provided a few important and critical details to this case."

"First point," I wrote the number one on the board, "Press coverage has to stop." I wrote _press coverage_ and crossed it out with a big X. I continued, "The witness has shared that if the press continues, this will encourage the abductors to speed their process of relocation."

"They're trafficking them!?" Kukai shouted.

"Yes. I'm afraid so." I continued, "Second point," I wrote the number two, "And this point you may not agree with, but according to the witness, this is a crucial step. Only a small group of members may enter the location. If a larger group enters, then this is encourage the abductors to hurt the girls."

"Lastly," I wrote a number three, "This has to be done in stealth. Otherwise…." I turned to face the members and placed my hands on the table, "They'll be killed on the spot."

The room was silent and after a minute, Kukai asked, "How long will they be at the location before moved?"

"The witness estimated a week from yesterday if we dropped the coverage." I turned my head towards Chief Iwagaki, "Were you successful in stopping the press?"

"Yes." He nodded and then placed chin in his propped up arms, "Then that means we have about five days to find these girls." He sighed, "Ikuto…"

Shit… that can't be good.

"Can you get ahold of your source and have them provide the location?" Iwagaki asked.

I nodded, "Of course, it may take some time, but I will definitely get ahold of the location."

"Time is what we don't have Tsukiyomi." He was angry.

"What my witness requires is trust." I defended her, "My witness has been through hell and back and they can hardly trust anyone at the moment." I returned my voice to normal, "Once I have gained their trust, they will provide that information."

"Good." Chief nodded a bit pleased, "If trust is what the poor soul needs, then you are the most trustworthy one out of all of us."

"Thank you." I bowed my head and then excused myself from the room. I took the card with her number out of my pocket and flipped it around in my fingertips. Should I call her? Is she alright? I should just trust her, but I can't, yet I have to learn to trust her. Maybe she doesn't like any food in the fridge. Oh god what if she got into the alcohol supply? What if she went into my room?

"Dude," Kukai stopped me mid thought, "You're pacing, you okay?"

"There's a catch to this... " I thought about what word to say, "predicament… about the witness."

"And…?" Kukai waited for my answer. I hesitated and then he told me, "Dude, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

"Don't tell, and…" I wasn't sure if I wanted to reveal her gender, "The witness is currently staying with me until the case is over." I clarified, "You know, for protection, since the witness has been through this situation before. I thought…"

"I don't need to know the details dude." Kukai stopped me mid sentence and then got close to me and with a hushed voice he asked, "It's a girl isn't it?"

"What?" I responded with the same hushed tone.

"The witness, the person who called you, sent you those messages, the person from earlier," He clarified, "It's a girl."

I nodded a silent yes.

"Come on dude!" Kukai shouted and almost burst my eardrum, "What did I tell you earlier, man?!"

"Keep it down!" I gave a harsh yell and continued to whisper again, "It's nothing like that! I'm protecting her from whatever we're up against."

"Then promise me that you won't bang her as soon as you get a chance." Kukai snapped another harsh remark at me, "She doesn't need that!"

"Why do you immediately think I fuck any girl that I see!?" I snapped back at him.

"Well," Kukai rubbed the back of his head and laughed light heartedly, "You kind of do."

I rolled my eyes and then laughed with him. Kukai was a great friend, but also a dork.

* * *

"I'm home!" I called out as soon as I stepped through the door, "I brought pizza if you're hungry." Once I was passed the hallway and into the kitchen I dropped the box on the counter and noticed that she wasn't around.

"Angel?" I called out for her and there was no response. Instinctively, I grabbed my holster and quietly stepped towards the guest bedroom. I slowly opened the door and took a peek inside. There she was on top of the covers, sleeping on the bed. She must have been exhausted. I walked over towards her and picked her up in my arms. Her head drooped onto my chest and with much effort, I tried to pull back the covers of the guest bed. After several attempts, I finally was able to tuck her into the bed. She snored lightly and I found her sleepy face to be kind of adorable. I quietly walked out of the room and closed the door behind me.

Once I was back in the kitchen, I shoved the pizza in the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. I stopped myself before closing the door and placed the beer back in one the shelf and then replaced it with another bottle of water. I walked over to the couch and slumped into it. I turned the TV on and flicked through the various channels. Junk. Junk. Junk. Oh! My… nevermind it's ending. Junk. Junk. I clicked the TV off and then placed the remote on the table beside the armrest of the couch. I stared up at the ceiling and counted the various popcorns that I found in the ceiling until I fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_Brrriinnnnng-riiinnnnggg-Brriinnnngggg!_

I jolted off of the couch and fell on the floor. Then raced towards the door, "Coming!" I shouted as I heard the continuous ringing noise. I opened it to find my ex and I frowned.

"I forgot something." She pushed me aside and walked through my apartment as if she owned the place.

"What did you forget?" I remembered Angel in the guest room, "I can grab it for you."

"It'll only take a second!" She stormed into my bedroom.

"What's going on?" I heard Angel yawn from the other side of the kitchen.

"My ex…" I grumbled and took a seat at the breakfast bar of my kitchen.

Angel sat next to me, "What is she doing here?"

"Said she forgot something." I shrugged and then got up to make a pot of coffee. I offered some to Angel.

"Nah." She declined, "I don't even understand how you can drink that shit water."

"When you've been working in my field long enough," I grabbed for a mug, "You need anything you can get."

"Like whiskey to numb the pain?" She reminded me of when we first met.

I frowned, "Yeah… like whiskey."

"Found it!" My ex stormed out of my bedroom and spotted Angel, "Well, I see that you didn't waste any time."

"It's not like that." I sighed and shook my head.

"Of course it is!" She screamed, "You just pick any girl you like off the street, don'tcha?!"

"Look," Angel stood up, "He just said it's not like that."

"Shut up, bitch." She spat in her face, and eyed her up and down, then laughed, "Well, I see you've lowered your standards."

"And I see that you outstayed your welcome." I hated that she was acted like this. I walked towards the hallway and opened the door, "And if your head can't interpret what that means, then I suggest you get out." When she didn't get the memo, I hollered, "Now!"

She jumped in response and like a scared puppy, she scurried out the door with her tail in between her legs.

"Bitch." I slammed the door behind her and returned to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry." Angel frowned and apologized, "This is my fault."

When I looked at her I could tell that she was clearly upset. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

She quietly got up and returned to her bedroom. I stood there silently for a moment and let the rage build up, but once I couldn't take it anymore I grabbed my coffee mug and threw it at the closest wall.

"DAMN IT!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. The ceramic shattered against the wall and pieces flew in different directions. I leaned over the counter and breathed heavily. God, there was so much rage built up in my system.

I heard a faint cry coming from the guest bedroom and my body sunk. "Oh god…" I walked over to the door, carefully stepping over the ceramics pieces in effort to avoid them and gently tapped on the door, "Angel… may I come in?"

There was a slight shuffle of feet and a creak from the bed. In a matter of a few seconds, the door slightly opened and I saw a puffy eyed, scared woman in front of me.

"Angel," I stood at the door and didn't make an attempt to step further, "I'm sorry." I didn't know where to begin, "I've been… keeping my anger inside of me and I shouldn't have let it out in that way." I sighed, "I'm really sorry, Angel. I didn't mean to frighten you."

She opened the door wider and held my hand. She didn't pull and didn't push me away either. Angel just stood there silently and rubbed her fingers in my palm. I leaned against the entryway and watched her.

"Can I ask you a question?" I smiled at her, "How old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-three." She answered.

"So you were 13 when you were taken?" I was treading a thin line right now.

"Yeah, older than those girls now." She then embraced me, "It's sickening that they want younger girls now."

I wasn't sure where I should touch her and whether I should. "I know…" I decided to wrap my arms around her waist where it was comfortably not too high and not too low on her body. I could feel the scars etched into her skin underneath the thin shirt. How many years did it take to make those scars?

"Why Angel?" I blurted the first question that came to my head.

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"Angel certainly isn't your name," I explained, "Knowing you as much as I do, you're not the person who would instantly give me their real name. So why Angel?"

She pulled away from the embrace and then sat on the bed, not facing me. She lifted her shirt once off and held up her hair in a loose bun, "They called me Angel as a code name for trafficking. So, when inflicting my scars they decided to give me wings on my back and a halo around my neck."

"Scars around the head meant a loss in profit, I presume?" I slowly approached her.

"It did." I knew she knew that I was closing the gap between us, but she didn't move at all, "You can touch it… if you want…" I heard a frown in her voice, "It doesn't physically hurt."

"But it does emotionally…" I traced my fingers around each scar.

"Yeah." She sighed and lowered her hair. The ends of her hair grazed my fingers and I jumped slightly in response. Her hair was surprisingly soft for all that she's been through.

I clenched my hand into a fist, "How could they do this?"

"I know…" She frowned again.

This was hurting her. "Hey," I stopped for a second and tried to form some sort of idea, "Do you want some pizza?"

"For breakfast?" She turned her head to look at me. When I nodded, she turned her full body and hugged me, "Heck yes!"

"Uhhh… can you put your shirt back on first?"

I called the office at about noon and told Chief that I was going to meet with my witness. In actuality, she was already with me and I had to get her some clothes because she couldn't keep wearing mine.

I took her into three different types of women's clothing stores and she managed to not completely put me into debt.

 _Hanging out with your girl?_ Kukai sent me a message.

I replied. _Yeah._ I hit send but then immediately began typing another message, _Can you search for any missing persons from 10 years ago. Descriptions include pink hair and honey-golden eyes and she would have been 13 at the time._

 _On it._ That was the last message I heard from Kukai for now.

"Tsukiyomi." I looked up to see Angel in a uniform-like outfit with a dark blue tie with rolled up sleeves, a grey skirt, silver belt, and silver boots. Her hair was halfway pinned up with a black clip and her tomboyish outfit looked perfect on her.

"Uh…" I coughed a bit taken back by her look, "Hey."

"Do you not like it?" She asked concerned.

"No," I fumbled, "I do like it." I like it alot.

"Good!" She smiled and picked up her bags that surrounded my feet. "I'm done for today."

"Let me carry those." I offered but she held them defensively to her body.

"No, I can carry these myself." She refused my assistance and then swayed ahead of me.

I rolled my eyes and followed behind her.

"Tsukiyomi." She stopped and then waited for me to come up behind her before she started again, "Why are you being nice to me?"

I ruffled my hand through her hair and laughed, "Am I not allowed to be nice to you?" I kept walking forward but she didn't follow me. I turned, "Angel? You okay?" It seemed like she was frozen in place again. I walked back to her and answered her truthfully, "I'm not being nice to you. I am being myself and am treating you like you are any other individual."

"Okay.." I couldn't tell if there was relief or despair in her voice.

"Come on, let's head back home." I grabbed her bags and walked with her on the way home.

"Once we drop this off," she shared a bit of information with me, "We shouldn't delay this case any further."

"Agreed." I quickened my step.

We left the apartment building and took a left away from the stores from earlier. Angel changed from her cute outfit into black skinny jeans and a tight black and red striped shirt. I hated my body every now and then this was one of those days where I really hated my myself.

"Hurry up!" She dashed in front of me and stayed close to the walls.

I followed close behind her and ran alongside her. "Where is this place, Angel?"

"By the docks, but we can't get too close in broad daylight. They'll see us." Angel dashed ahead and through the busy street.

"Hey!" I shouted at her and then once the road cleared I tried to catch up with her. She jumped a fence that led towards a restricted area.

"Angel!" I shouted her name again, but she didn't slow up a bit. I jumped the fence and then made a dash for her. She jumped another fence and then jumped off a huge ledge. I didn't say another word and continued to follow her. I skidded to a stop once I got to the ledge and saw that she stopped on top of an old freight train.

"Come on!" She waved at me to jump.

"You're fucking insane!" I screamed at her and then jumped down on the train.

She waited for me to get up before she continued to run.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Once she was in my grasp I held her tightly against me, and I panted, "You… took this way... ?"

"It's the only way that I know.." She looked up at me. I never realized how short she was compared to me.

"Alright." Without even thinking, I breathlessly kissed her forehead and let her go.

She blushed and stumbled forward and almost off the edge.

"Hey," I pulled her close to me again, "You okay?"

She nodded and then shook her head and jumped from our current freight train to the next one.

I followed and once we were done train hopping, she jumped down to the ground and waited for me. I closed the gap between us and she just stood there breathing heavily.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I held her arms and pulled her in close to me.

She shook her head yes, but I could tell she wasn't being honest with me.

"We don't have to do this…" I started but she stopped me by placing her hand on my lips.

"We have to do this now, Tsukiyomi." She didn't look at me once, "It's just… hard… because I'm worried that we're going to be caught."

"I understand." I really did. We were taking a huge risk by going now, but we needed to plan out how we were going to sneak in and get the girls.

"Once we leave this spot, we're going to have to stay quiet and act like the night." She instructed me on the orders.

I nodded and waited for her to begin to run. It took Angel a few moments for her to regain her composure. Once she felt alright enough to run, she booked it towards the an open box carrier. She then slunk her way up a ladder and stayed low on the carrier. I was close next to her when she pointed out the entrance of the location where the girls were being located. I nodded and then she turned around to head back out. I knew that this was all she was going to show me today, and this was enough to plan our rescue.


	6. Chapter 6

Once off the lot and close to my apartment, we started talking again.

"I can give you building layouts later tonight." Angel held her head higher than normal.

"Angel…" I stopped in the middle of the street and she stopped with me, "If you're uncomfortable with this and want to stop…"

"No." She shook her head, "This is the first good thing I've ever done, and I want to see it out into the end."

"Even it it hurts?" I struck a chord in her, "Even if it brings up such terrible memories?"

I saw her mood instantly changed. I could see her eyes change from hope to fear. Her eyes glazed over and I grabbed her waist. I whispered, "It's okay. I'm right here." Her body went limp and I scooped her up and cradled her in my arms all the way to my apartment.

Once in my flat, I immediately took her into her room and laid her down on her bed. I was about to leave her and I heard her call out my name behind me.

"Tsukiyomi." I turned around and saw her eyes half opened "Stay with me." I returned to her side. She held my hand, "Lay with me." I laid on my side beside her. She raised her head closer to mine and whispered, "Kiss me."

My lips met her's and there was more force behind her kiss than I wanted to continue with her. I stopped her, "You need your rest, Angel."

"Just stay with me then." She held my arm tightly and there was no way that she was going to let go. I readjusted myself on the bed and she snuggled close to me. She laid her head down on my chest and I heard her breathing calm to a soothing, relaxing pace. Hearing her breathe was so relaxing that I was about to fall asleep myself, but I felt my phone buzz in my back pocket. I shimmied it out and saw that Kukai was calling. I clicked it to silent and then proceeded to maneuver my way out of her grip.

"Where are you going?" She whined sleepily.

"Station's calling me." I felt her grip loosening around my arm. I left the room to take Kukai's call. "What'd you find?"

"The case went cold five years ago. They pronounced her dead."

I leaned against the wall, "How could they have pronounced her dead, if she's still alive?"

"It says that the body was tossed out to sea and never found again."

"That doesn't make any sense." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Yeah I know." Kukai answered and continued to read, " And get this, the person that reported that she was thrown out is now dead. He died three weeks after reporting the sighting."

"How'd he die?"

"Shot once in each limb and the fatal blow was one last shot to the head."

"A pentagram?" I mapped out the shots in my head.

"How does five shots automatically assume that it's a pentagram?"

I couldn't tell him over the phone, "Meet me at the bar in fifteen."

* * *

Kukai arrived before me and I bought two beers, one for him and one for myself.

"Why couldn't you tell me over the phone?" Kukai asked.

"Tracking reasons." I whispered, "Anyway, it's a pentagram." I drew a stick figure body on a napkin and then traced the points. "The witness led us to a church, and I found out that they go by the code name of Angel. I saw their markings and it indeed does look like an angel's wings and halo."

"Markings?" Kukai asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Scars…." It was a lot harder to say than I thought it would be and I even had a vision of her scars flash before my eyes. "My witness told me that the abductors did that to them and…"

"Dude." He slapped my back, "Calm down."

I didn't even realize my heart was racing until Kukai slapped me back to reality.

"What was the victim's name?" I held out my hand for the file, which Kukai handed to me with a frown on his face.

"You're not going to like what you see."

I opened the file and saw pictures of the dock where Angel took me yesterday, I saw a small girl being drug around by her hair, l saw her being thrown onto a boat, and that was the last available picture. I then found the police file.

* * *

 _First Name: Amu_

 _Last Name: Hinamori_

 _Parent(s): Tsumugu and Midori Hinamori_

 _Characterisitcs: Pink hair with honey-golden eyes._

 _Last wearing: A black and red school uniform_

 _Last seen: Walking home from school at 1500 on South Street._

 _Suspect:... …._

 _ **DEAD-**_ _JUNE 6, 2013_

* * *

"Look at the date." I pointed to Kukai, "Three sixes."

"I don't see it," Kukai didn't even try to look.

"June is the sixth month, and she was kidnapped on the sixth day, and if you add the year it equals six."

"What are they trying to do, summon the devil?" Kukai joked.

"Or say that they are the devil." I noted.

"Well," I closed the file shut, "I think we can at least make a plan and tomorrow the witness and I can try to get the blueprints."

"Fair enough." Kukai and I both got up and walked out towards the station.

* * *

It was about 2300 before I returned back to my apartment and the plan was set. Two SWAT members would sneak through and get the girls before anyone would notice them. I just needed Angel to get those blueprints. Should I even call her angel anymore, I mean, I know her identity. I shook my head and decided that I should keep that bit of information to myself.

"I'm home." I kicked the door closed behind me and walked into the kitchen. Everything was tossed and thrown all over my apartment. I panicked, "Angel!?" I dashed into her room, and stumbled over the broken ceramic from earlier this morning. Her room was in complete disarray. "Angel!" I screamed and ran through my apartment, "Angel!"

I ran into my room and saw a similar mess. I ran my hand through my hair and started hyperventilating, "Oh god… oh god…."

There was a loud bang from my bathroom I heard a loud thump from around the corner of the door.

I raced to see what the hell was going on. Angel shimmied her way out of the ventilation system and hopped down onto the tile.

"Whew…" She brushed her jeans, "That was a close one."

"Angel!" I tightly hugged her and couldn't stop shaking.

She shoved me back and I slammed into the sink. "Why did you have to go snooping through my file!?" She punched me hard in the gut.

"I wanted to see there was any information that could help us in the case." I shoved myself off of the sink and hugged her again.

"Get off of me!" She screamed and pound her fists against my chest.

Over her screaming I breathed a sigh, "Thank god you're alright." I nuzzled my face against top the of her head.

She quieted down and asked confused, "What?"

"Thank god you're alright." I repeated and felt her move her head from under my chin.

"Do you fully understand how much danger you put those girls in? Let alone how much danger you put you and your partner in?!" She was furious.

"Yes," I nodded, "I'm well aware."

"We're going to have to break in tonight." She was finally able to push me off and marched towards the door.

I didn't want her to walk away like this, "My name is lkuto."

"What?" She stopped and turned to face me.

"Since I know your name, you might as well know mine."

She snorted, "Like, I could give a fuck what your name is." She pointed towards the door, "All I know is that if we don't hurry our asses up, those girls aren't going to even have a name."

I grabbed my cell and called Kukai. "Hey can you meet us at the intersection of Sycamore and Elm?"

"Why do you need to meet with him?" Angel snapped at me.

"Yes now." I ordered, "Also, bring that… thing…" I hung up.

"What thing?" She blinked.

"You'll see." I winked at her and saw a small blush through her angry face.

"Why did you want me to come with you?" Kukai met with us as soon as he could get out of the office.

"This your techy?" Angel raised her brow.

"Is this the witness?" Kukai pointed at her.

"Can you both stop calling me witness?" Angel crossed her arms mad, "You already blew my cover, just use my name."

I didn't like her idea, "No, there could be people on the street that could relay messages to the kidnappers."

She rolled her eyes, "Fair enough."

"Kukai." He held his hand to her and she just huffed and dashed off towards the location, "She's friendly." He said sarcastically.

I laughed, "You haven't even seen her best side." I nodded at his briefcase, "Is that the thing?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Alright. We better catch up to her or she'll get pissy."


	7. Chapter 7

"What's in the case?" Angel whispered harshly and nodded to the case.

"It's a tracker." Kukai opened the case and pulled out a computer with two small eye contacts. He handed one to me and the other to Angel. "Put these in and I should be able to see what you see. I can track both of your locations at the same time."

"Good." I placed my contact in my left and Angel hesitated before placing her contact in. I took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"What the hell?" She tried pulling away, but I didn't let go.

I kissed her hand and whispered, "Once we get in there, don't leave my sight."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Her blushes were becoming more and more noticeable and it even caused Kukai to snort.

"Geez, have you never had anyone care about you before?"

Hearing that was like a knife to the chest. And Angel's voice after that was icy cold, "Let's move."

"Take this too, Ikuto." He handed me an ear piece. I placed it in my ear, "I'll be able to keep in touch with you."

We hopped off the freight train and dashed towards a side entrance. There was an old broken window about seven feet from the ground and I boosted Angel up towards the window. I jumped in and followed her. We maneuvered through empty cells and tip-toed our way towards the children cells.

"Three guys are coming in on your left." Kukai mumbled through the earpiece.

I grabbed Angel's arm and pulled her back slightly. I pointed left and she nodded. We waited in one of the cells until the guys passed by us. We dashed out of the cell and then ran into a giant open room.

"Welcome back, Hinamori."

We halted. There was no point in running now.

She bowed her head.

"And who do we have here?" The voice called.

A spotlight shined bright on me. I squinted a bit and wondered how Kukai couldn't pick them up on his system. They must have some sort of blocking agent reflecting the telemetry waves.

"No response?" The voice grew closer and finally a man appeared behind the bright light. He was a bulkier man that flashed his wealth on his body and hands. How many people has he sold to buy that much jewelry? "Well, my name is Diablo." He bowed his head and took a puff from his cigar. With his free hand he snapped his fingers.

From the corner of my eye, I saw two guys jump Angel. She successfully manage to take down one of them, but the other one knocked her out with the back of a knife handle.

As much as I wanted to go and grab her, I knew that if I made any swift movement they would kill the girls. "So, this is the game?" I glared into his eyes. All I could think about was murdering that fucking son-of-a-bitch.

"Game?" He laughed, "I wouldn't consider this to be a game… more of… pure pleasure."

"You bastard!" I jumped forward a bit, but was quickly stopped.

"One more step, boy, and you'll be saying goodbye to those poor little girls." He snapped his fingers one more time and I felt a hard WHACK.

* * *

I woke up to be bound to a chair in the center of a white room. There was an old CRT TV in front of me on a stand and it was turned on to some "offline" station. I glanced around to see if there was any way out of the room. There was one single door to the left side, but that was it, no windows, no ventilation system, nothing. The TV clicked on.

"Ahh…. Welcome to the show." Diablo sneered into the camera. He knew I was on the other side. "Today, we have a delicate specimen, and my personal favorite, performing a wonderful show full of lust, sin, and deceitful pleasure."

My body lurched forward in devastation when I saw a burly blonde man stick a thick long needle into Angel's arm. What the fuck, it doesn't matter if I use her code name anymore! "AMU!" I screamed at the screen once I saw her body go limp and her mouth foam, "GOD DAMNIT! WHAT ARE THEY FUCKING DOING TO HER!?"

I knew they couldn't hear me because the guy that drugged her exposed himself and shoved his grimy disgusting parts into her mouth. She pulled away after he slammed himself against her multiple times and Amu threw up. He then kicked her hard in the stomach. There was another guy that entered the picture and together they ganged up on her.

I clenched both fists and felt my body bursting with rage, "NO! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" I shook my body from side to side and hoped that the rope would loosen.

"Ikuto…" A harsh whisper called out to me.

"Kukai…?" I turned my head left and saw the familiar face.

"Hold on buddy, I gotcha." I could feel a tug behind me and I heard the sound of rope being sawed.

"I'm going to fucking kill them." I gritted through my teeth.

"I thought this was supposed to be a stealth mission…" Kukai stopped and I knew he looked up at the screen, "Oh god…"

He sawed just enough to break away. I bolted out of the chair and turned back to him, "You have my silencer?"

Kukai pulled out the 10mm pistol with a 2" silencer pipe and tossed both to me.

As I was putting the pieces together, I ordered, "Go grab the girls, they're in…"

"Sector 4, Block 6." He knew exactly where they were and he continued, "She's in Sector 9. You should be able to see it, there's only one room."

"Good." I nodded, "Get those girls out of here as fast as you can and then call the chief once you're out. Tell him to bring back up, and remember," I put a hand on his shoulder, "You are to remain in stealth even after you get those girls."

"And you are not to kill anyone until I get those girls out." Kukai placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed, "Go save her." He dashed out of the room first and headed left. I followed and went right.

I stayed close to the wall and inspected each entryway before I walked into or past them. I had no idea where this Sector 9 was I could hear loud screaming from who I assumed was Amu. I followed her screams…. God it killed me inside to even think that.

"Hey!" A man spotted me and I shot him down before he could even reach for his gun. I sprinted over to him and removed the body from the light. I also searched him for any type of gun or ammo. Once he was cleaned I pushed ahead through the rest of the hall. Kukai needed to hurry the fuck up.

"Get him!" A group of men ran behind me and I turned to face them. I shot one and then hid behind a cell block door. There were loud shots fired. Fuck. I tried to focus my aim and manage to gun down another. There were two men left and they moved up the hallway towards my only form of cover. When I heard one reloading, I moved away from my cover and took a few more shots. I was able to get a clean headshot on one of them and the second person took two of my shots.

I took the graze of a stray bullet and it burned like hellfire. I instinctively clenched my side to stop the bleeding, but I knew that I couldn't just keep my hand there, I had to push forward and place my hand back on the gun. I once again checked each person for their gun and ammo. I tossed the guns aside in opposite directions of the men and kept the spare ammo. There was plenty of 10mm rounds so I reloaded my pistol and cocked it back into ready. There was a giant map at the end of this hallway so I took a moment to find Sector 9. Thank god I was heading in the right direction. I had one more right and then a quick left.

With that information noted, I dashed ahead at full speed. I didn't want to imagine what they were doing to her and I prayed that she was still alright. God.. Amu… I'm sorry.

"I got 'em out." Kukai responded into my ear and I returned to my senses. "They're alright. Chief is on his way with SWAT. I don't know if you have Amu, but get out of there fast. They're ordered to kill on sight."

Fuck. I pushed my legs harder and took a hard right then quickly opened the door on my left. There were the two naked men on top of Amu which I killed without having a second thought.

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you." I could hear the sound of a cocked gun and a voice of a soon to be dead man.

I held my ground with my gun pointed directly at him and he held the same stance. "I can't wait to blow your fucking head off." I laughed, "Or maybe I should just torment you like you did to Amu." My finger slowly pulled the trigger.

"I know your friend busted in and took my girls," My eyes screwed and I released my finger on the trigger, "As soon as I press this button," He held his hand against a red alarm button, "Those girls are gone."

"Not over my dead body…" Amu jumped him and stabbed his neck with several of the large needles filled with the drugged concoction. He fell to the ground and even though Diablo was clearly dead, she kept stabbing him with the needles.

"Amu…" I called to her. She didn't react, "Amu!" I knelt to the ground behind her and once her arm was up in the needle gripped tightly in her hand. I grasped her hand and hugged her tightly against me, "Amu…"

She slowly lowered her hand and came back to her senses. I whispered in her ear, "It's over, Amu. It's all over."

Amu's whole body crumbled as she turned to bawl into my chest. Her wails could probably be heard throughout the whole building, but I didn't care, if there was anyone left, I would blow their fucking head off.

I wrapped my jacket around her and scooped her up in my arms. "Come on Amu," I kissed her forehead, "Let's get you to a doctor." I tried to walk as fast as I could with a graze wound and her in my arms out of the building.


	8. Chapter 8

Amu was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and I was patched up at the scene against a police car. I wanted desperately to go with her, but I knew that I wouldn't be allowed and I had a lot of explaining to do with Chief.

"Tsukiyomi." Chief Iwagaki appeared with Kukai, "You are going to explain what the fuck happened here tonight and then maybe I'll reconsider your termination."

I sighed and started to explain the chain of events. With the Chief somewhat satisfied, but mostly disgruntled, he calmed down a bit to place his hand on my shoulder, "You're one lucky one of a bitch that this didn't go any worse than it did."

"I know Chief." I apologized again and bowed my head.

"Take the weekend off, and bright and early Monday morning see me in my office." He let go, "I need to… think things over."

Once he walked away, Kukai asked, "He's not really going to fire you, is he?"

I shook my head and laughed, "Nah, he's just pissed that this didn't go smoother."

"Dude," Kukai poked at my wound which caused me to flinch, "You got nick pretty badly."

I punched him, "That doesn't mean that you can fucking poke at it!"

"How was she?" Kukai immediately changed the subject to a more darker matter.

"As soon as she got the chance, she went ape-shit on the ringleader." I recalled the rather gruesome moment, "She started with his neck and then proceeded to stab whatever part of his body with those needles."

"Is she going to be okay?" He asked concerned for Amu, "Like mentally okay?"

I shook my head no, "No, she'll never be okay again, and no matter how hard she'll try to forget, those demons will come back to haunt her."

"Damn…" Kukai ran his hand through his hair with guilt.

"It's not your fault Kukai." I knew what he was thinking about, "It's none of our fault. We didn't know that they would track us."

"I know, but…" Kukai sighed, "I feel terrible for what happened to her."

I pushed myself off of the car and walked back towards my apartment, Kukai followed close beside me, "What's done is done. I know it sucks, but for her sake, we just have to move forward."

"Does she even have anywhere to go now that this is all over?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, "I do know that we'll reveal her identity so her parents can find her, but from there, I don't know what will happen."

"What about your apartment?" Kukai asked, "Are you going to stay there after they fix it up again?"

I shook my head no, "That place holds too many bad memories, for me and for her." I assumed she might stay with me, "And… ever since she called me a few days ago…" I shrugged again, "I don't know… things changed for me."

"Changed? How?" Kukai snorted but was intrigued enough to hear my response.

"To not take things for granted for one thing, and," I looked up to find only two stars in the whole night sky, "Even when it seems like all hope is lost, push forward and move on." I looked back at him and explained, "Because that's what she did. Even though she went through hell and back, she found her own little sanctuary of peace."

"Dude you're too philosophical right now.." Kukai laughed and slapped my shoulder.

"And I'm going to murder you." I said with an annoyed smile on my face. Kukai kept laughing, which eventually caused me to start, but everything I said was true. Amu really is an angel.

* * *

I visited the hospital the next morning and saw two older adults hover over Amu's bed in her room. They were crying and the woman was stroking Amu's hair. Just by looking at them, I could tell that they were Amu's parents. I let them visit in peace and I walked to the closest coffee dispenser. In my right hand I held the latest house advertisements and with my left I grabbed the tiny Styrofoam cup that filled with the hot brown liquid. After spewing out the rest of the coffee, I waited for a second before moving the cup to my lips. I sat down in the visitor's area and flipped through the ads. There was a small 1000 sq. ft. house that was kind of cozy looking. It had two rooms, one bathroom, and all of the amenities that one would need for purchasing a house. What was even better was that it was within my price range. I tabbed that one as an eligible candidate in my house hunt and flipped through the other ads.

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi?" A voice appeared in front of me and I looked up to see that it was a nurse. "Are you Ikuto Tsukiyomi?"

I nodded.

"Patient Amu Hinamori has requested your presence." The nurse pointed towards Amu's room.

"Are her parents still in there?" I asked, "I don't want to intrude."

She shook her head no, "They just left."

I stood up from my chair and chugged the remaining bit of my coffee. Before I entered Amu's room I tossed the cup in a trash can and folded the ads under my arms. I could she that she was hooked up to different machines that were all measuring her vitals and her eyes were closed. How'd she know I was here? I walked in quietly and sat down in the chair next to her bed.

"Ikuto?" She raspy called out my name.

I leaned on her bed and held her hand in mine, "I'm here." I gently rotated her wrist and kissed the top of her hand.

"Are the girls okay?" She asked and rotated her head towards me.

The way she looked killed me. Her cheeks were bruised, her scar on her neck was reopened and there were once butterfly bandages on the wounds, there was a cut above her eye, and her lips were purple and swollen from the abuse of events. Even though she looked like she was in so much pain she smiled and cried when I nodded my head yes.

"Thank god…" Tears streamed from her eyes and I brought my thumb up to her face and carefully wiped her face.

I kissed her hand once again and tried to hold in my own tears. I wanted to ask her so many things, but I had trouble forming words. So I stood up from my chair and leaned over her head. I softly kissed her forehead and returned to my chair.

"Ikuto…" Her tears slowed, "I'm sorry… you had to see all of that."

"Amu.." She cut me off.

"I tried to be strong." She cried harder, "I tried so hard…"

I felt a lump swelling in my throat and a pain welding in my chest. I struggled to say something, "Were your parents happy to see you?"

She nodded and sniffed, "Yeah… they didn't even believe it was me at first."

"What did you all talk about?" I propped my head on my free arm and with my other hand I tenderly rubbed her palm.

"The future. They still live close by and wondered if I wanted to come home." She laughed, "Home, Ikuto. Can you believe that?" I could see that even though she was trying so hard not to show any pain, her body shook with each laugh.

"What did you say?" I grew curious with her response.

"I couldn't," Amu responded, "I told them that I would visit, but I couldn't live there."

"How come?"

"Because I don't know them anymore." She shook her head and another tear rolled down, "I hardly remember the good times when I lived there and I don't want to burden them with my nightmares." She smirked and found some humor in what she said next, "They have another child now. Her name is Ami. Can you believe it? I'm a big sister."

I smiled, "That's great Amu."

"No it's not." It pained me to hear that, "What the hell am I supposed to tell her? How the fuck am I supposed to interact with her? I'm broken... destroyed..." More tears formed and these were more painful to witness.

"No you're not." I stopped her, "You are reborn, Amu." She looked at me in the eye, "You were declared dead and you're now alive. What happened can't hold you back from what will happen. Amu…" I stopped my train of thought and blushed, "Amu, you could live with me. We can be happy together. You can still visit your family and be an amazing big sister and a wonderful daughter and…" I paused, "Stay with me."

There was a moment of silence between us as she was processing her thoughts. "I don't want to be a burden to you."

"You never were a burden," I kissed her hand again and spoke into it, "And you never will be Amu."

It took her a long time before she told me, "Can I think about it and get back to you with an answer?"

"Of course." I got up and kissed her forehead again.

A nurse knocked on the door, "Pardon me, but visiting hours are soon over for her today. You will have to please leave and come back tomorrow."

I understood and cupped my hand around her cheek, trying not to cause any more pain, "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

She nodded and leaned her cheek into my hand. "Thank you Ikuto."

I slowly removed my hand and then walked out of her room. Across from her room, out in the hallway, was a beautiful view of the skyline. I walked towards the window and saw a white dove flutter outside of the window before flying away into the morning sky.


End file.
